Latin Texts of Virtues, Vices, and Proverbs

For your Skits  you may  choose from the countless EXEMPLA of VIRTUE and VICE in Greek and Roman mythology, especially from those in the Metamorphoses of Ovid, or from Roman History, especially authors like Livy.

Livy is an excellent source for EXEMPLA of VIRTUE and VICE if you wish to base your Skit upon an episode in Roman history.  In his Preface to the Ab Urbe Condita, Livy expresses well that Roman predilection for teaching through examples.  Teaching is this manner  is the purpose of this great work. Teams preparing for the Senior Probatio should read and study the interlinear translation of this whole passage and be responsible for the Latin of Sections 9 and 10 (indicated below in bold face).   Teams for the Junior Probatio should study the translation of Sections 9 and 10.

What was handed down before the city was founded or was to be founded more
    suitable or stories

incorruptis rerum gestarum monumentis traduntur, ea nec adfirmare nec refellere

than for the unsullied monuments of history, neither to affirm or to refute

in animo est.  [7] datur haec uenia antiquitati ut miscendo humana diuinis

is my intention.  [7]This fault is granted to antiquity that by mixing human things with

primordia urbium augustiora faciat; et si cui populo licere oportet consecrare

divine it might make the origins of cities grander;  and if one must allow any people

origines suas et ad deos referre auctores, ea belli gloria est populo Romano ut cum

to regard its origins as divine and to refers to the gods as its creators, the glory in war

suum conditorisque sui parentem Martem potissimum ferat, tam et hoc gentes

of the Roman people is such that when it strongly considers Mars its own and its

humanae patiantur aequo animo quam imperium patiuntur. [8] sed haec et his

founders father, even the nations of the world endure this with as calm mind

similia utcumque animaduersa aut existimata erunt haud in magno equidem

as they endure its rule.  [8] But these and similar matters, however they are perceived

 ponam discrimine: [9] ad illa mihi pro se quisque acriter intendat animum, quae

and interpreted is not indeed of great import to me:  [9] What is important to me is

uita, qui mores fuerint, per quos uiros quibusque artibus domi militiaeque et

each person carefully pay attention to what the life was,  what the customs were

partum et auctum imperium sit; labente deinde paulatim disciplina uelut

through what men and with what skills at peace and at war  this rule was born and grew;

desidentes primo mores sequatur animo, deinde ut magis magisque lapsi sint, tum

finally, with discipline gradually decaying,  let him follow with his mind the morals

ire coeperint praecipites, donec ad haec tempora quibus nec uitia nostra nec remedia

at first slothful, then how they are more and more fallend, then begin to plunge

pati possumus peruentum est. [10] hoc illud praecipue in cognitione rerum salubre

headlong up to these days in which neither our vices nor their remedies we can bear.

ac frugiferum. omnis te exempli documenta in inlustri posita monumento intueri;

[10]  this is that especially wholesome and productive thing in the study of history, that

    you gaze upon the documents of every example placed upon a prominent monument;

inde tibi tuaeque rei publicae quod imitere capias, inde foedum inceptu foedum

from which you may choose for yourself and your country what to imitate, [and]

what to avoid as foul at the outset and as foul at the outcome.

exitu quod uites. [11] ceterum aut me amor negotii suscepti fallit, aut nulla unquam

[11]  But either love of the task undertaken deceives me or never was any state

res publica nec maior nec sanctior nec bonis exemplis ditior fuit, nec in quam

either greater nor more virtuous nor with excellent examples richer, nor into any

[ciuitatem] tam serae auaritia luxuriaque immigrauerint, nec ubi tantus ac tam diu

state did greed and luxury arrive so late, nor where so much and for so long honor

paupertati ac parsimoniae honos fuerit. [12] adeo quanto rerum minus, tanto minus

was there honor in poverty and frugality. [12] Thus to the extent that there was less wealth,

cupiditatis erat: nuper diuitiae auaritiam et abundantes uoluptates desiderium per

there was less greed:  lately riches have brought in avarice, and large appetites have

luxum atque libidinem pereundi perdendique omnia inuexere. sed querellae, ne

brought in luxury and the lust for destruction and for ruination of everything.  But let

tum quidem gratae futurae cum forsitan necessariae erunt, ab initio certe tantae

criticism, not  to be agreeable even then when perhaps necessary , from the beginning

ordiendae rei absint: [13] cum bonis potius ominibus uotisque et precationibus

surely of so great an undertake be absent. [13] With good omens, instead, and promises

deorum dearumque, si, ut poetis, nobis quoque mos esset, libentius inciperemus, ut

and prayers to the gods and godesses, if as to poets so also to us it be the custom, we would

orsis tantum operis successus prosperos darent.

begin more pleasantly, that to the beginnings of so great a work they grant prosperous results.
 
 

One of the "virtues" of learning this list is to revue the declension of Latin nouns.  Here is a list of nominative and genitive endings found in the following list of abstract nouns.  Both the Junior and Senior Probatio Teams should learn these endings so as to be able to give the appropriate case forms of the Virtues and Vices in this list:

aequanimitas
amicitia
amor
auctoritas
benevolentia
caritas
castitas
clementia
concordia
consensus
consolatio
constantia
copia
decus
dignitas
diligentia
fama
fides/fidelitas
fortitudo
fraternitas
generositas
gloria
gratia
gravitas
habilitas
honestas
humanitas
humilitas
ingenuum
iustitia
labor
liberalitas
loquentia
magnanimitas
mansuetudo
mos maiorum
negotium
nobilitas
officium
parsimonia
paupertas
pertinacia
pietas
probitas
prudentia
pudicitia
pudor (= pudicitia, modestia)
pulchritudo
religio
Romanitas
salus
salubritas
sapientia
scientia
serenitas
simplicitas
sobrietas
societas
sollicitudo
spes
suavitas
suaviloquentia
temperantia
veritas
virtus
voluptas?

One of the curiosities of language is that words tend to acquire pejorative meanings.  Some of the following vitia, therefore, are virtues transformed into vices, e.g. voluptas, gloria, and parsimonia  (which usually meant "frugality" in Latin, not the negative "parsimony" of English).  More rarely, some Latin words have lost their negative connotations and taken on positive meanings in their English derivatives, e.g., Latin rigor .  You should find English derivatives of most of these virtues and vices, but study carefully the English meaning.  It will not always be that of the Latin!

The Format of the Skit will allow for great variety.  As in the past it will be judged on conception, execution, costume, and adherence to the time restriction of 4 minutes plus 30 seconds to get on stage and 30 seconds to get off.    If there is a script, it should be given to the Judges in advance.  This year we will have, in addition, a particular format  for the presentation of the theme of Roman Proverbial Virtue and Vice.  This format has three parts:

A) Indicate a Latin word for a Virtue or a Vice on a placard or orally  ; B) Demonstrate that Virtue or Vice by acting out an Exemplum of it found either in Mythology or in Roman History;  C) Conclude the Skit with the presentation on a placard or orally a Latin Proverb that seems appropriate to the Exemplum.  Here are four samples which could serve as models:

2)  Virtus:  Nobilitas
Exemplum:  Death of Cleopatra (see Horace, Ode  I.  37)
Proverb: Homo semper aliud, fortuna aliud cogitat.
 (or: Caue quicquam incipias, quod paeniteat postea.)
 (or: Medicina calamitatis est aequanimitas.)

3)  Virtus:  Honestas/Fides
Exemplum:  Marcus Atilius Regulus (see Horace, Ode  3. 5)
Proverb: Honos honestum decorat, inhonestum notat.
  (or:  Cum se ipse uincit sapiens minime uincitur.)

4)  Virtue:  Fortitudo
Exemplum:  Aeneas during the Fall of Troy (see Vergil, Aeneid II)
Proverb:  Una salus victis nullam sperare salutem (Aeneid II.354)
 (or: desines timere si sperare desieris.  Seneca, Letters 5.7)
 
 

For the Skits you have complete freedom of choice as to Virtue, Vice, Example, and Proverb.  The following  proverbs are merely suggestions:

 A Selection of Proverbs from Publilius Syrus (for the full collection, see the UVM Classics Department Web page, clicking on Publilius Syrus)

Ars longa, vita brevis est (Hippocrates, apud Seneca)
Audentes Fortuna iuvat. (Vergil, AeneidX.284)
Bis dat qui cito dat (Publilius Syrus, variant)
Cedant arma togae.  (Cicero)
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Fertilior seges est alienis semper in agris.  (Ovid)
Fortuna multis dat nimis, satis nulli.  (Martial)
Gloriam qui spreverit veram habet. (Livy)
Nemo malus felix.  (Juvenal)
Nihil recte sine exemplo docetur aut discitur.  (Columella)
Nil mortalibus ardui est.  (Horace)
Non omnes qui habent citharam sunt citharoedi. (Varro)
Omnia mutantur, nos et mutamur in illis.
Pietas fundamentum omnium virtutum. (Cicero)
Piger sibi obstat.  (Seneca)
Quidquid agas, prudenter age, sed respice finem!
Sed quis custodiet ipsos custodes? (Juvenal)
Semper fidelis. (Motto, U.S. Marines)
Si vis amari, ama.  (Seneca)
Tempore felici multi numerantur amici. (Medieval maxim)
Vox audita perit, littera scripta manet.